The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-05-03
RULER OF MILLIONS.

Throne OF China-Importaut Re-
forms Expected OF the Young EN-
pcror.
The dcspot of nearly one-fourth Of
the human race, the mystic occupant
Of the dragon throne. regarded by his
millions OF bonighted subjects as more
Of a god than OF the ordinary mortal
stuff that kings are made OF. is poten-
tate, writes Shanghai correspondent
of The New York. Herald, OF whom the
great world, outside his gorgeous pal
ace in Pekin, knows little. Still less is
his knowledge Of the countries. OF the
people. OF the lives and manners of tho
inhabitants of this mundane sphere be-
You'd tho bourucs of this vast empire.
Entirely in the hands of his willy COURT.
ers, seeing only from what they lift the
veil, hearing only through their wakcful
ears the little thcy desire him to know;
brought up in the mysterious and awful
scclusion which hns always henimed in
the ruler OF China. the youthful success
sor of lung Chi, the Lonely Man"
the "Vccgcrcnt of Heaven" as his
subjects, among other similar titles
without number, call him, knows lit
tie, even OF his people, and about rs
much Of his power.
Kwang Su, the ninth OF the Tsng
dy nasty. a Mnnchu b., descent, nominal
~ commenced to reign in 1875, i'm
med atcly after the death OF his cousin.
I Tung Chi, who died of smallpox that
year, at the age OF 10. But tho present
empcror's reign really began on Mon
day last (Fcb. Z, 1850, when his moth
er, who had dur.ng his minority been
regarded as the head OF tho state, re-
signed her place on the throne 10 him.
The ceremonies attending his assump-
t on OF the re.ns of government were
OF the most elaborate and curious
character. The first act in the long
list OF imperial rites took place Oh Dec.
q, when the emperor offered up the
ancient sacr lice in the Temple OF
Heaven" at m dnight. Iio next went
through the ceremony. dating back to
centuries before the dstc assigned by
Christian chronologi.,s to the food, and
known as the consultation Of the
heavenly registers at tho sacred cdiiicc
called the Tai-ho-tien, after which the
prayer recited by him at the sacrifice
was burned. This orison is, OF course,
too holy thing to he read by mortal
eyes after his majesty has looked upon
il. A tsrribls fate i. said TO bo reserv-
ell for the wretch VINO has the temerity
to trsnsgress in thi, respect; bat un-
fortunately hro AFRO left 10 wonder what
the precise form OF punishment would
DO to the profsncr, rs there Is no case
on record OF such transgre.sion.
The 9TH OF the present month, which
Is the fifteenth DAY OF the first Chinese
moon, WAS chosen by astrologers and
corroborated by the registers as the
auspic Gus date for the emperor to COM
mence his majority and supersede his
mother, Henceiorward the sacred
red pencil which Is used as roysl seal
on state documents will be welded by
this doubtful emperor without the
maternal assistance. 1t may strike peo-
pie outside China ~ strange that here,
IN n country where woman Is held in
universal contempt, the highest affairs
of state should have been allowed to be
transacted by one Of the despised sex
for 10 many years, Tho next item in
tho imperial programme was the usual
prolonged fasting in the Temple OF
Fasting" which terminates the pre-
liminary. ceremonies. The emperor
has since been prepar NC himself for tho
more important functions by days and
4. -
munion with the shades OF his gloriiied
ancestors. But again your CORE
spondcnt is at II loss, and in common
with everyone else in China confesses
his inab llty to state what took place ut
any of these supernatural interviews.
On Monday. however. all the imperial
clan. numbering many hundreds and
termed the Tsung Shih, and the high
min STEERS. including III Hung Chang
and the Marquis Tseng. were assembled
by ed let in the palace to witness the
ceremony of the formal installation OF
the emperor.
No European eve has ever witnessed
the proceedings upon such an occasion,
and il is doubtful whether any has ev-
or seen the inside of the palace at all.
But the ceremony is briefly this: A
crash on Wmbals and the assembly
falls down, face 10 the ground. pros
trate before the empress mother.
Hwang How she is called-angelic
mother OF the state, The emperor then
enters the hall. surrounded by his reti-
nue. and dressed in flowing robes Of yell
low and gold. He bows to the ground.
or kowtows. rs it is termed, three
times. in homage to the maternal dig
nitv. Tho rest of the assemblage fol-